Seventeen Arizona institutions report culinary programs (CIP 12.05 family) to the U.S. Department of Education, and sixteen of them are public, anchored by the Maricopa Community Colleges around Phoenix and Pima Community College in Tucson. Average net price runs from $3,405 a year at Pima to $38,815 at the state’s lone private culinary school. Eight of the seventeen report baking & pastry tracks. All figures come from the College Scorecard and IPEDS, retrieved July 2026.
| School | City | Type | Tuition/yr | Net price/yr | Enrollment | Programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GateWay Community College-Central City | Phoenix | Public | - | $14,438 | 595 | Culinary Arts |
| Arizona Culinary Institute | Scottsdale | For-profit | - | $38,815 | 149 | Culinary Arts |
| Regional Center for Border Health | Somerton | Private | - | - | 131 | Culinary Arts |
| Tohono O'odham Community College | Sells | Public | $932 | $4,233 | 998 | Culinary Arts |
| Mohave Community CollegeReports both culinary arts and baking & pastry completions. | Kingman | Public | $2,208 | $5,974 | 3,216 | Baking & Pastry Culinary Arts |
| Central Arizona CollegeReports both culinary arts and baking & pastry completions. | Coolidge | Public | $2,250 | $4,714 | 4,912 | Baking & Pastry Culinary Arts |
| Cochise County Community College DistrictReports both culinary arts and baking & pastry completions. | Sierra Vista | Public | $2,280 | $7,929 | 3,096 | Baking & Pastry Culinary Arts |
| Eastern Arizona College | Thatcher | Public | $2,352 | $9,197 | 2,643 | Culinary Arts |
| GateWay Community College | Phoenix | Public | $2,358 | $13,339 | 4,538 | Culinary Arts |
| Phoenix College | Phoenix | Public | $2,358 | $12,055 | 8,555 | Baking & Pastry |
| Rio Salado College | Tempe | Public | $2,358 | $8,341 | 11,668 | Culinary Arts |
| Scottsdale Community CollegeReports both culinary arts and baking & pastry completions. | Scottsdale | Public | $2,358 | $13,336 | 5,377 | Baking & Pastry Culinary Arts |
| South Mountain Community College | Phoenix | Public | $2,358 | $12,780 | 3,645 | Culinary Arts |
| Estrella Mountain Community CollegeReports both culinary arts and baking & pastry completions. | Avondale | Public | $2,358 | $12,254 | 4,512 | Baking & Pastry Culinary Arts |
| Pima Community CollegeLowest average net price in the state: $3,405/yr after grants. | Tucson | Public | $2,442 | $3,405 | 14,242 | Baking & Pastry Culinary Arts Culinary Management |
| Yavapai CollegeReports both culinary arts and baking & pastry completions. | Prescott | Public | $2,948 | $8,683 | 3,988 | Baking & Pastry Culinary Arts |
| Arizona Western College | Yuma | Public | $3,060 | $8,983 | 6,374 | Culinary Arts Culinary Management |
Showing 17 of 17 schools
Standout Culinary Programs in Arizona
Pima Community College: Tucson’s full-stack kitchen
Pima is the only Arizona school reporting all three tracks (culinary arts, baking & pastry, and culinary management), and it’s also the cheapest at $3,405 average net. The Culinary Arts A.A.S. stacks on top of shorter certificates (Culinary Arts, Baking & Pastry Arts, Hospitality Fundamentals), so you can start earning with a certificate and ladder up without changing schools.
Scottsdale Community College: the Maricopa flagship kitchen
SCC’s Department of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts runs the Culinary Arts A.A.S. (a shared Maricopa-system credential) plus Culinary Foundations and Culinary Professional certificates, with an application-based cohort. It’s the structured pick among the seven Maricopa-area campuses in the table. Average net: $13,336; sister campuses Phoenix College (baking & pastry) and Estrella Mountain offer the same system credentials at different price points.
Arizona Culinary Institute: Scottsdale’s private intensive
ACI teaches one thing: a comprehensive Diploma in Culinary Arts, Baking, and Restaurant Management, in small cohorts (federal enrollment: 149 students). At $38,815 average net it costs eleven Pima-years. The trade-off is speed and intimacy versus debt, so ask ACI for placement data in writing and compare before committing.
What Culinary School Costs in Arizona
The public spread is wide: Pima ($3,405), Central Arizona ($4,714), and Mohave ($5,974) sit at the budget end, while the Maricopa campuses cluster between $8,341 (Rio Salado) and $14,438 (GateWay Central City). Rural options, including Cochise, Yavapai, Arizona Western, and Eastern Arizona, keep culinary training under $9,200 net across the state, and Tohono O’odham Community College serves the Nation at $4,233. Flip the out-of-state toggle if you’re coming from elsewhere; Arizona community-college rates run roughly double.
Schools You Might Be Searching For
The Scottsdale Culinary Institute, which became Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Scottsdale, closed with Le Cordon Bleu’s U.S. exit, completed by 2017. The Art Institute of Phoenix closed in 2018, and the chain’s remaining campuses shut in September 2023. Neither has an Arizona successor; the Maricopa and Pima programs absorbed that demand.
Arizona Culinary School FAQs
How many culinary schools are in Arizona?
17 Arizona institutions report culinary programs (CIP 12.05 family) to the U.S. Department of Education: 15 public and 2 private or for-profit. The count covers degree- and certificate-granting schools in the College Scorecard as of July 2026.
How much does culinary school cost in Arizona?
Average net price, what students actually pay per year after grants, ranges from $3,405 to $38,815 across Arizona culinary schools, with a median of $9,090. Published tuition is often higher; net price is the more accurate number.
What is the cheapest culinary school in Arizona?
Pima Community College in Tucson has the lowest average net price at $3,405 per year. Community college district residents can sometimes pay less than the published in-state rate.
Which Arizona schools offer baking and pastry programs?
8 Arizona schools reported baking & pastry (CIP 12.0501) completions in the latest federal data, including Mohave Community College, Central Arizona College, Cochise County Community College District.
Can I study culinary or restaurant management in Arizona?
Yes, 2 schools report culinary/restaurant management (CIP 12.0504) programs: Pima Community College, Arizona Western College.
Culinary Schools in Nearby States
School list, tuition, net price, and enrollment from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS completions data (CIP 12.05 family), retrieved July 2026. Program details verified against pima.edu, scottsdalecc.edu, and azculinary.edu listings, July 2026. Closure records from school and news announcements.